How to cope when you have had enough of money saving!

tibawo

We have a loose change jar. Even when the girls find a penny on the floor then bring it home and put it in. LOL. I never count this as my money saving and unless a real emergency never go in it.
Whenever we go away e.g. our sun holiday i cash the jar in and we [2 girls and me] split it 3 ways and buy what we want no questions asked!

i have also a gift voucher for beuticians from my sis that i'm hanging on until a low moment hits.. been getting close but have held off.

taplady

Zanadu - I'm so glad you decided to join us:)

I really enjoyed reading your post and wish your DH all the best fro his treatment.

Scrapaholic

Haven't had time to look through the whole post but some good tips I read briefly . I too am feeling down + cannot splurge money on what I want . However , the snowdrops are in the garden, evenings are getting lighter , we have our health . Soon it'll be spring , walks in the park and the world will seem a brighter place . Best wishes to all feeling below par .

lilac_lady

It's essential to buy a treat without guilt when you're on a strict budget. As long as it doesn't send you into the red, enjoy it!

Broomstick

Hi,

Scrabbles, thank you so much for your post. Zanandu, you too, and I wish your husband well in his treatment.

I have a treats tin (a large rectangular biscuit tin) in my bedroom (temporarily replaced by a cardboard box since I nicked the tin for my newly sorted out stationery cupboard!)

Whenever I find something that would be a bit treatsy for me, I pop it in the 'tin' and I have something to raid if I need to. It's a bit thin on the ground right now: there's only a DVD (got on mega offer last autumn) that I've been wanting to watch sometime, some sudokus cut out of newspapers and a small tube of hand cream (from Christmas) but it looked pretty full after Christmas when I'd added in various little treats that had come my way. I had also added a guilt-free £10 note but that got spent! :rotfl: I need to think about topping it up again.

When my children were younger, I had something similiar for them where I put to one side all kinds of things to make and do, including freebies and bits I'd picked up as two for ones or at charity shops. We are long term home-educators and it meant that if ever there was a day that was going horribly wrong, or the weather had wrecked other plans, I had something to reach for that the children didn't know about so was a surprise.

B x

CH27

Lovely post Zanandu. Welcome MSE.
I hope your OH's treatment goes well xx

wouldbeqaulitymoneysaver

I get fed up although I consider myself a very inexperienced MSE with much to learn.
I don't see why we should scrimp and save and those bloody Bankers, Politicians etc spend as they like and we bail them out!

minimacka

Zanadu - what a lovely post it brought a tear to my eye, I have felt the benefits of having a dog, having to walk her morning and night and meeting some lovely people along the way. When I walk her on the beach I am so thankfull that I live in such a beautifull place and that i have the health to do so.

I wish you and your lovely family all the very best.


Scrabbles - what a lovely way to look on life.

x

BitterAndTwisted

wouldbeqaulitymoneysaver wrote: »

I get fed up although I consider myself a very inexperienced MSE with much to learn.
I don't see why we should scrimp and save and those bloody Bankers, Politicians etc spend as they like and we bail them out!

This worldwide recession has plenty of things to get cross about. The tragedy is that the gap between the rich and the poorest, even in the wealthiest countries has been ever-widening since about the 80s. Still happening now. This hadn't been apparent to the majority because with rising pay, optimism about the future, ever higher expectations of what's "normal" and access to credit masked what was really going on for the ones at the bottom. It's only now that the gap between the bottom and middle is narrowing that folks are getting angry about bankers, the failure of capitalism etcetera etcetera.

What I think we need to do is concentrate on our own lives, not on anyone else's, and deal with the here and now.

Getting angry should be the motivator to get active politically, involve yourself with your local community, help those around you, write to your MP, vote for who's going to protect your own interests.

My own fear is that during the 80s that government already sold off all the family silver which made the Treasury's balance-sheet look good so this lot won't be able to to the same degree. This recession is going to provide a golden excuse as "we're all in it together" to make changes which we may not necessarily like and many didn't vote for.

*superfluous and unwelcome political rant over*

bevhousehastings

God I so know what you mean...sometimes being 'good' with our money makes me so fed up. I think back to the 'olden but bad' days when we just used to go recreational shopping and buy anything we fancied. We don't do this anymore, and are very careful with all shopping.
But..occasionally a takeaway is a fantastic treat, or even a really easy dinner that doesn't take much cooking like frozen pizzas. And it'll be soon car boot time, which we always find a treat or two at.
I'm also a regular freecycler, both posting bits and bobs, and asking for occasional things. The whole family really enjoy the odd 'treat' picked up from freecycle - last week it was some old vinyl albums for my partner - Bob Dylan and others.
Keep going everyone...also lovely to hear from the people who are made it partically though the money saving tunnel.